The Call of the Flutes
by Mantinas
Summary: The first of many of our Pokecraft mythos series. Gary invites Ash to Miskatown, a mysterious new town and Gary's new place of residence, where Ash suffers from bizare dreams. Slight Palletshippy.


The Call of the Flutes

Mantineus-This is for my friend Tamah. Who is an Azathoth(follower) as well as pokemon fan. This is also the first of many of our Pokecraft mythos. And Tamah, I'm gonna finish "Insanity", giving you enough time to finish yours before posting another of these.

Disclaimer-Pokemon characters belong to Nintendo. The cult belongs to Azathoth whom exists through H.P. Lovecraft's still existing influence! Which belongs to H.P. Lovecraft; duh! Nor do I own the songs that helped me write this.

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1

I am no longer ignorant. I know that beyond the veil of ignorance that every man, woman, and child hides behind, is horrible and frightening beyond any man's imagination.

It all started before I received the note from Gary Oak, an old college of mine in the profession of Pokemon trainer. The dreams started out with these horrible hybrids dancing and chanting horrible, crude things in a language I could never understand. These horrible masses of flesh with flutes played maddening notes from their instruments, driving the hybrids onto more frenzied movements. Before them was a giant being that I cannot place in anything I've ever seen before. Not even in Pokemon.

It was other worldly. Almost like it was a world all its own. But something told me that the creatures with the flutes were connected to it. Then, like they used teleport, the flutists left and a man with dead black skin appeared before the hybrids, stopping their actions. He wore a black robe, the hood drawn down.

He looked at each of them in turn, slowly moving his head from side to side. I swear his gaze lingered on me on one of his sweeps. He would then begin to speak in the language I heard the hybrids speak earlier. Once he was done. The flutes picked up again. This time with more unsynchronized notes and a louder pitch. I would always cover my ears; but it was always in vain, for the flutes permeated the entire land. And, quite possibly, the entire populous.

I would awake a few minutes after each bombardment of flutes. Always with a jump, my lungs expanding and contracting rapidly, my body covered in a cold sweat.

There was another dream. This one was not as long, but frightening nonetheless. In a specified space, at least, it felt specified, there were two hybrids. One held onto a dagger while the other had a bowl with symbols I did not understand nor recognize. But I did recognize the little naked white thing that sat on the ground. A human baby boy. The hybrid with the knife chanted something and was answered with the one with the bowl. And, beyond my knowledge of how, I knew that the events in the other dream were happening at the same time. The hybrid with the knife gutted the baby and the one with the bowl let its blood fill it.

I would wake up moments after the hybrid begins filling the bowl.

Now, what makes the letter I received from Gary so amazing, was that we had a falling out as some friends do. Though the cause I had never known. Even to this day I still do not understand it; but I am thankful that we did now. His letter mentions meeting him before the thirtieth of April in a town called Miskatown(1), of which he hoped that I would stay until then without the company of my Pikachu. I felt unsure about it, but he did seem like he wanted to patch things up.

He even provided a map with a red line from Pallet, of which I was staying because I had finished another league and where I received the letter, all the way to Miskatown.

I set out at once, walking since that was the mode of transport that I am quite accustomed. Besides, the distance from Pallet was not far. I had arrived on the sixteenth, for I barely stopped; and if I did, it was not for long, for my nightmares would awaken me at night and the only source of relief came from walking.

A dream that I had on the way there consisted of iridescent bubbles following behind me until I reached a sign reading Miskatown. Then the bubbles began to swirl around me in a maddening display. Something sprouted out of the ground neither Pokemon nor plant. It had gapping mouths and a phrase entered my mind. Only to be forgotten when I awoke right after it was said.

The very next day I arrived.

2

Miskatown was a little town out in the middle of the woods in a clearing. It was quite small, yet bigger than some towns that I have ventured into on my travels. Gary had been awaiting me at the sign with the town's name written upon it.

Gary had smiled and we had shaken hands and said our greetings. It had been so long since I had seen him. His once short, spiky hair became longer, the once sharp looking spikes grew thick and blunt. His skin was smooth compared to my calloused one. His attire was that of a black shirt and navy blue pants with black dockworker's shoes.

"Come," He said, turning towards his town. "Let me show you around."

It had seemed that my initial response to the town was correct. It was large, yet it was under populated. For, while Gary gave me the tour, I glanced at only a handful of people. The houses did not appear Japanese at all. They seemed to be New England styled houses. Wood and brick that seemed to be aged despite the fact that Gary mentioned that this was a new town, not found on any map. Hence why he made me one.

The temples, for there were many compared to the number of houses. Were big box shacks. As to why this place had so many temples I received no answer. And beyond was a river that separated the town and a bridge that people may use to cross.

"This," Gary said, motioning towards the only building I could ever call extravagant. "Is my home. Where you will be staying until the thirtieth."

His house was the only two story building with a chimney with two rooms upstairs. He led the way inside. Opening the door for me, I saw that the house was nearly empty. The living room had a couch and some chairs and a shelf with many books and a frightening volume on the very top shelf by itself; bound in black.

The kitchen held the necessities; a 'fridge, a gas stove oven, and a pantry. There was no sign of special china or utensils. The dining room had a table that held twenty and a chandelier full of candles.

"Why do you not have electricity?" I asked.

"It is not necessary." Gary said. "It is better this way. No electrical appliances to enslave us. We are free here."

He looked contently in my direction.

"Come," He said once more. "I'll show you to your room."

He led me over to the single flight of stairs in the living room against the wall with the bookshelf. The stairs ended their flight by a wall that continued onward to become the narrow and claustrophobic upstairs' hallway. The upstairs consisted of two bedrooms and, I was to learn, each had their own bathroom.

"This one," He said, pointing to the door on the right. "Is mine. This one," Pointing to the door on the left. "Is yours."

I opened my door and was amazed by the angles of the wall where the chimney laid against the wall. The wall from floor up, rose at an angle, the wall from the floor fell at one until they connected in the middle. The wall opposite was my bed and a door that led to my private bathroom. Next to the peculiar outcrop of wall was a chest of drawers. I looked up towards the ceiling and noticed the entrance to the attic.

"I hope everything is to your liking." Gary said smiling.

"It is, yes." I said, turning to face him. "But what's with the wall?"

"I'm not sure." Gary said. "I guess it's so that the rooms appear smaller. Mine has one, too."

He opened his door to show the peculiar angle on his wall. His Eevee's back was turned to us as it slept. Which rekindled a previous question.

"Why wasn't Pikachu allowed to come with me, Gary?" I asked.

"I figured it could use some time away from you." He said chuckling.

"Ha ha," I laughed back sarcastically. "Very funny."

"Glad you thought so." He said.

The sound of his front door opening made him turn his head. His expression turned stoic and unreadable. Almost calculating. Like he was trying to think of the intruder's next move.

"I'll be downstairs." He said, reverting back to how he was before the intruder arrived. "Just come down when you're done and we can catch up."

"But Gary," I said, sounding worried. "What if he has a weapon?"

"You worry too much, Ash." He laughed. "There's nothing in Miskatown that can hurt you."

He walked down the stairs and I looked towards Gary's bedroom, noticing that his Eevee was missing. I had not seen nor heard it move. I took it to be because of its reflexes being so sharp that I did not hear it. Shaking any horrible thoughts out of my head, I began packing. After I was finished I suddenly felt tired. The bed called out to me and I answered it. I was too tired to take my clothes off in exchange for my night ones. I crawled under the covers and fell asleep.

The dream I had was of the two hybrids with the baby boy. Only this time there was something different about them. But I could not tell what it was. For I am never near enough to them to truly see what they look like.

The iridescent bubbles floated around me. The dream changed. The bubbles floated away and I was in a barely lit room with a table and bookshelves filled with dusty, decaying tomes residing on them.

A hand landed on my shoulders, making me turn. The man with dead black skin was behind me. An Eevee on his shoulders. Though there was something horrible about its face.

I woke up after that.

3

I walked downstairs to find Gary sitting in one of the chairs nearest the bookshelf. One of the books on the lower shelf was in his hand. I read the spine and found it to be by a man named H.P. Lovecraft.

"You didn't have to bring your entire bedroom, you know." He said while never looking up at me and with a smug grin on his face.

"I'm sorry, Gary." I said. "I haven't had much sleep lately, that after I stopped unpacking, I fell asleep."

"No harm done." He said, putting the book down. It was then I noticed his Eevee laying on his lap, his face turned away from me. "Please. Sit." He made a motion to one of the chairs in front of him.

I grabbed one and moved it closer to my host. There we caught up. More like I had Gary caught up on my life while Gary said nothing on his. I had felt somewhat cheated and asked him how he has been.

"You see that book up there." He stated, pointing at the book in question. "I have translated them from their original language. But that one, that's part of the reason I am blessed with this house."

I was confused. I had never seen it before in my life. Nor have I seen the others before. Granted, I am no reader. But my female companions often dragged me around bustling cities with great shopping, that the only safe haven were the bookstores.

"But how?" I asked. "I've never seen them before."

"No, you haven't." Gary said. "They're ancient. And their content, once translated, wouldn't have sold. What you see are the only copies in Japanese."

"What are they about?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

But Gary stretched his arms and yawned. Claiming he was tired and stood to leave. His Eevee left prior, though I never saw it move.

"Please, Ash." He said, stopping at the foot of the stairs. "Don't read them. Not yet."

"Okay, Gary." I said.

He gave me a small, reassured smile and climbed the stairs into his bedroom. I stayed downstairs; bored, but not tired. It was not until seven minutes passed(according to the clock Gary had next to the chair he sat at) that I felt a pair of eyes on me. But everywhere I turned I could not find the source of them. Which seemed odd, for they always seemed to come from the direction of the top of the stairs.

I cautiously walked over to the steps. I slowly climbed them. When I reached the top I saw nothing. The hallway was empty. Void of life except my own. It was not until I felt tired and walked towards my room when I saw it. I did not notice it at first. I had to stretch my arms, my head tilting down towards the floor in Gary's room. I panicked and ran into my room and hid under the covers. Shuttering in terror, I closed my eyes, trying to forget and let the balm of sleep heal me.

For what I saw were two human eyes staring at me from the gloom so very close to the floor.

4

That night I heard things claw inside the walls. Little things. I could see them crawl on the floor and heard them gnaw in the walls. They were small little brown things, like Rattata only the color and tail of a Raticate(2). Their noses twitched and they clawed at the inside of the wall. Their beady eyes looking at me as they started for my bed. But they never came. Just as soon as I heard and saw them, they were gone. My head hit the pillow and I slept.

I was climbing irregular stairs, their geometry strange and alien; much like the city of which the stairs were a part of. A name cried out through the gusts of air like banshees:

_R'lyeh!_

As I climbed I saw a giant figure hidden in the shadows. I stopped and awaited; as if I were expecting something. Two gigantic, clawed hands attached to gigantic arms raised upward and roared something that I could not make out. It lowered them and sauntered away from view. I heard the scrape of rocks moving and then a thud. Something closed.

An earth quake erupted, shaking the city, making it sink under the waves. Despite my urgings to run, my body stayed in its spot, unmoving. The water rose up, hitting the back of my body.

I was swarmed by iridescent bubbles as I watched that strange city fall beneath the water. It was then that I took a good look at myself.

I woke up. The terror that forced me to wake was forgotten. It had seemed like only a few minutes, but I had slept a great deal; the sun shining where before was the moon.

I had the distinct smell of bacon grace my nose that I quickly got out of bed and walked down towards the kitchen, any previous fears forgotten and considered tricks of my tired mind.

Gary was in the kitchen over frying pans, cracking eggs and putting them in one of them.

"Good morning, Ash." He said, his gaze never leaving the stove. "How'd you like your eggs?"

I had responded and sat down at the table. When everything was done, Gary carried them on plates and set them down on the table, finishing up with plates and silver wear for the both of us. He had made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and sausage. Cornerstones of a Western breakfast. But I found that I was too hungry to ask questions and started eating the delicious food in front of us.

When the meal was done, I offered to do the dishes while Gary sat in the living room, the book from last night clasped in his hand. When I finished drying them, I walked into the living room, the book closed on the table where he laid it last night.

"Do you mind accompanying me on my morning walk?" Gary asked me.

"Sure." I respond.

He stands and moves over to the door. Once he opens it I spy Eevee flying out the door as quickly as possible. I found that odd, and asked him of the peculiar behavior.

"He likes walking around outside." Gary said. "He'll be back before nightfall, though."

We walked through the town. I waved at everyone whom passed us by. They returned the favor, though reluctantly. Like they were debating whether or not to do so. Gary walked me to the bridge. We crossed and entered the woods.

The woods were dark and dense with trees and rocks. Gary seemed at home here with his content, thoughtful expression. I, however, felt something I barely feel while in woods; dread. It was silent save the wind blowing through the trees. Nothing stirred in the branches nor disturbed the ground. Although I experienced this around trails, I had never seen anything so barren in a wild area. The whole forest was, for there was no trail to speak of.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Gary asked, smiling in my direction.

I nodded my head.

"Why aren't there wild Pokemon, Gary?" I asked.

He seemed to be thinking of an answer when he turned to me and shrugged. But I had a sneaking suspicion he did know. I did not press further, knowing that Gary would never tell me-if he did in fact know why-if he did not tell me in the first place. We slipped into a comforting silence the rest of the walk.

Once we returned to Gary's house I spotted a man standing at the door of Gary's house. The man was clean shaven and neat. But in his eyes I saw paranoid sweeps of the area around him. When he spotted us he smiled, looking relieved.

"Oh, Great…" The man began, but Gary seemed to cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"What is it, Cyrus?" Gary asked.

"About the thirtieth." Cyrus began.

"Just follow the Black Man." Gary said. "He will lead you."

Cyrus clasped Gary's hand and thanked him before running off.

"Gary," I said. "That wasn't nice."

"What?" Gary asked, surprised.

"Calling this man a black man." I stated.

"That's just his ceremonial name." Gary explained. "His real name…Well, that's not go there. He's temperamental about it, and I still can't pronounce it."

There was something about Gary that led me to believe that he was lying.

5

Once we were inside Gary sat at his usual chair and I repeated the action. Gary sighed and looked at his bookshelf. Without looking at me, he commented that he had more to translate.(3)

"But why translate them, if they are as horrible as these?" I asked.

"To get a full picture of what it is." Gary said. "To understand what this ancient civilization believed in from the words of a man who was there."

"But why translate them when they will not sell?" I asked. Normally my mind was not on money, but Gary was never the one to do things without reason.

"Power." He said, letting the conversation die.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Gary started a new topic.

"I founded this place." He said.

This had surprised me. Gary was, to put it bluntly; cocky. He wrote signs on signs telling people he was there and that I was a loser. But this floored me, for I never would have thought of Gary Oak doing anything like this.

"Why?" I inquired.

"Safe haven." He said. "It's what…"

He was stopped by scratching at the door. Gary stood up without hesitation and opened the door. Gary's Eevee darted inside the house that it was a blur of brown moving towards the second floor. Gary chuckled and closed the door.

"Why did we stop being friends?" I asked him without really thinking.

He moved towards me, stopping in front of me. He grasp my shoulders and bent down so that we were eye to eye. His eyes sparkled and he let out a sigh.

"Now why would you want to know a thing like that, Ashy-boy?" He asked, squeezing my shoulders before bending back up and began walking towards the stairs.

"I'm going to check up on Eevee," He said. "He normally does not run inside the house like this."

I was left alone downstairs and I felt myself getting sleepy. My eyes began to get heavy. I had doubted this as real at the time; but what my tired eyes saw before closing was Gary's Eevee jump on my lap; a white human face void of hair with blue eyes, a small indent with two small holes that served as a hole, and a grinning mouth that revealed sharp yellow teeth; its ears pointed in a relaxed position.

I was in a dark, barely lit room. The only source of light was the candle on a rectangle table. Within the flame's radius I saw bookshelves filled with old, decaying tomes. At the table was a man with dead black skin wearing a black robe-that has haunted my dreams before, but never in this fashion-and Gary on the man's left at the head of the table.

Gary seemed to be writing something until he looked up. He smiled at me before offering me a seat next to him on his left. The sound of flutes began to play, though its origin was unbeknownst to me. It was soft and manageable, but soon began to rise in volume. The sound was maddening. I had covered my ears, but in vain. The sound only grew louder.

"Can you hear them?" I asked. "Can you hear the flutes?"

Gary shook his head no, while the dead black skinned man did not move a muscle. I groaned, begging the sound to stop. But to no avail. Everything turned black and I could see the flutists from that one dream with the hybrids and the man with Gary. But there were more of them, playing in un-harmonized tunes. Swirling and moving around a big, gigantic mass of unspeakable horror. Yet, within a minute instant, I felt peace.

I had woken up to find myself in my room. How I came to be in here, I do not know. I had asked Gary and he said that he was with Eevee the whole time and that I must have woken up and walked there and had just forgot about it. For some reason I did not believe it. But with no other rational explanation, I took it.

6

Monday arrived and Gary-as well as the entire town-seemed to be anxious. He even let me read some of the books on the shelves, hoping that I would get something out of it. Although he seemed to be forcing me to read them now a days. From "Rats in the Walls" to "Dreams in the Witch-House" that I had noticed a pattern between myself and the characters in the stories, which made me nervous as to what might happen to me. But when I brought this to Gary's attention, he laughed at it and said that I worry too much and that it is just a story.

I had, over the past two nights, seen these brown creatures that I now know to be rats. The endings, like all of these stories, frightened me. These were not happy stories. Nor were they the kind that wraps itself up nicely in a little bow where you understand everything that's happening.

Besides those rats, I have seen the dead black skinned person(whom is ironically in "Dreams in the Witch-House") I now know as…No, I cannot put it down on paper. The name brings up horrible images; both Egyptian and other. He walks gracefully-like a Pharaoh-amongst the rats towards my bed. He stands over my bed and the activity of the rats get louder. And then they stop, and he disappears. I float through space, Gary beside me with this horrible looking Eevee I saw twice before. He mouthed something: _My name is_ _Nada-_sha(4).

Gary would start to change into something. Then I would wake up.

Why Gary is forcing me to read these is unknown to me. He would make sure I had a book with me at anytime. The scary thing is that I had grown to like them. Their words entrancing me with their power, engulfing me into a madness that was uplifting to my soul. I wondered several times during those times, if this is how a holy man felt reading his scripture.

"I'm glad you like them." Gary responded to my reaction to the stories. "Everyone here does."

"I can see why." I stated.

"Do you trust me?" Gary asked out of the blue.

"Huh?" I said, sounding confused. "Yeah, Gary. I trust you. Why?"

"You'll see." Gary said.

"I think we've patched things up, Gary." I said. "We're friends again."

He smiled at me.

"But Gary," I said. "About the angles of the walls. They resemble the wall in that one story."

"Do you not remember?" Gary asks me, confused. "I've explained them to you before you are taken to the Black Man or elsewhere."

"You must have weirder dreams than I do." I said. "All I see is a man with dead black skin and rats and then some weirder stuff."

"Oh well," Gary said. "You read it, you understand their purpose."

"But it's not real, right?" I asked. "It can't possibly be real…Right?"

With that, he took his leave, his Eevee running out the door behind him. I never saw its face. Despite the length of the stories, I had finished them all. And what was left was the black bound book. I had stood a few minutes after Gary's departure and reached out to grab it. There was no name on the spine, but the cover had _The Necronomicon_ in perfect kanji. I moved back to my seat and opened the book.

By the end I was shaking. What this Abdul Alhazred wrote about is too terrifying to put on paper while sane. He talked of beings, even mentioning the hybrids from my dreams, too horrible to describe. And with names old and terrible, conjuring up things. Time, space, a city laying at the bottom of an ocean, a sleeping leviathan, all with names and tendencies unknown and horrifying.

Gary returned at noon and found me with _The Necronomicon_ on my shaking lap. He smiled at me and took the closed book from me and placed it upon the shelves.

"Do you understand now?" He asked me.

I did not respond. I stared straight ahead at his empty chair. Me entire body twitching. He gently laid a hand on my left shoulder and then went into the kitchen. He made lunch and brought my now limp body towards the table.

"Come on, Ash." He said. "It's over now. There's nothing to fear."

I slowly came out of my stupor, the power behind Gary's words bringing me out of the waking nightmare I delved into. I saw him smiling. It reassured me.

"Why did we grow apart?" I asked, sounding out of breath.

He leaned over and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

"You worry too much." He said smiling.

"But why?" I pressed.

"Why worry about it?" He asked. "We've made up without even trying. All that matters is the future."

He began to eat his sandwich. I begrudgingly ate mine as well.

Hours later and the day was over. Gary was reading a section of _The Necronomicon_ before he looked up at the stairs. He gently closed the book and placed it back upon the shelf and walked over towards the stairs.

"You do trust me, don't you?" He asked me before heading up the stairs for bed.

"Yes, Gary." I said, looking behind me.

He smiled warmly at me and ascended the stairs. I finished the story I was reading and climbed the stairs to sleep. I placed my head upon the pillow. I must have been imagining things, because I thought I saw Gary come into my room through the angled wall.

"Come on, Ash." Gary said, offering me a hand. "It's time to write your name in the Black Man's book."

I found myself taking his hand and I got out of bed. He led me over to the trap door in the ceiling that took you to the attic. He unlocked the door and lowered it, allowing a ladder to come down. He led the way up. Inside the attic was a dark room, lit only by a candle on a table that illuminated bookshelves filled with old, decaying tomes. The table housed a black skinned man, his skin the color of centuries of decay. He motioned to an open book I swore was not there a moment ago. On the open page was Gary's name, written in something that smelled of dried copper.

"You have to write your name in blood." Gary said smiling. "Write your name in the book."

A quill laid beside the book where moments before was empty space. The Black Man stood up, the Eevee with the human face burst through another trapdoor that I never knew existed. The door came up to a point like a triangle, leaving a triangle shaped gap in the floor. It made a wheezing chuckling sound as it ran towards the Black Man, rubbing up against his ankle, wheezing out sounds.

"Come on, Ash." Gary said. "Sign it."

He placed a hand on my back and led me towards the book. He picked up the quill and handed it to me. The human faced Eevee jumped onto the table and ran across it towards me. He jumped up at me and bit my wrist. I jerked my arm towards my chest, out of the monstrosity's reach. I looked down at my arm and saw blood slowly begin to ooze out.

"Dip the quill into it." Gary urged.

I obeyed. I dipped the quill tip inside the pooling blood and took it out. I was about to place the quill onto the paper when the flutes played once more. This time they started loudly, bringing my hands to my ears, they became louder.

"It's ok, Ash." Gary said, sounding sincere, rubbing my back despite the fact he looked frantic.

I was about to, but the scenery shifted. I was somewhere in the universe. Darkness surrounded me. The flutes picked up again. The scenery shifted and I was surrounded by a swirling mass of bubbles. The bubbles twirled around me that I had the sinking feeling that they revolved around me. As if they were examining me.

The bubbles spoke something to me. Something deep and wonderful and horrible. I knew who I was in the presence of. The Gate Keeper.

7

I had woken up feeling tired. As if I never slept. Sadly this was becoming normal with waking up. I tried sitting up, my arms as props for my weary torso, when I cringed and fell back down. I tried to look at my arm, but my head was drawn to a spot on the floor. There was nothing there, but I could barely move my head away to see why my arm hurt when my head jerked back to the spot on the floor.

I tried again; this time getting a better look at the tiny holes in my wrist that soaked my night shirt sleeve, but not the bed. I distinctly remember falling asleep and then waking up. What happened had to be a dream, right? I mean, the part with Gary seemed possible, but when it shifted. That just _had _to be a dream. But how could I shake the feeling that they were not dreams when-exactly where that monster bit me were a set of bite marks that could only be caused by those horrible, pointy teeth.

"Gary!" I called out to him.

I heard the sound of footfalls from downstairs rush up the stairs and into my bedroom. I am sure he looked confused. His voice sounded what I am sure I could not see when he asked what was wrong.

"My head's stuck in this direction." I told him. "Like that guy from that one story."

I could hear the faint sound of the rats gnawing and scratching at the walls. As Gary tried to speak they drowned him out. I covered my ears and groaned.

"What is it, Ash?" Gary asked.

"The rats." I groaned out. "The rats keep clawing at the walls."

"Ash," Gary said. "I don't hear anything. Now, if you'd stop fighting…."

The rats started a chorus of squeeking, scratches, and gnawing, drowning out Gary once more. I covered my ears once more, trying to drown out the terrible noise.

"Wha…What was that about fighting, Gary?" I asked shyly. "The rats started making noises then."

"We're trying to tell you something, Ash." Gary said, a little angry. "And you've fought the messages. Just-please-sign it tonight."

My eyes grew wide. How did he know about the dream I had last night? I had asked him and he sighed. He explained that he and the Black Man made me see images from the past. But he did not go any further despite my questioning. Nor did he explain which dreams exactly, although I could guess. He walked over to me and helped me out of bed and downstairs. No matter where I went, I was drawn to that spot on the ground.

But, as the day progressed, my head moved ever so slowly towards the sky. Once night fall came I was struck with an urge to walk. I told Gary that I would be out; he nodded and let me leave. From my travels I learned directions without a compass. Thus, I learned, I was traveling in a southeastward line. I crossed the bridge and walked through the woods until I came upon a clearing filled only with a rocky clearing like the one from my dreams. The sky, full of stars laid above my head. I had an urge to leap, my head already looking in the direction my body longed to leap to. It was between Hydra and Argo Navis. The space between those entities beckoned me. But for what, I did not know.

8

It was not until later that I was found by Gary in the clearing. He shoved me towards his house successfully. As I moved away from the direction I was drawn, I found that the pull was becoming weaker until it was manageable. He shoved me up the stairs and into my bed. We said our good nights and he left.

What I can only guess was a dream occurred. For I remember what occurred but I show no signs of it happening in the waking world. Gary woke me up and led me towards the attic again. The Black Man sat at his usual spot at the table, the book and quill awaiting me. I had felt a searing pain in my wrist. Upon examination I found that the wound from the night before reopened and was leaking fresh blood.

Gary motioned me to dip the quill into one of the blood drops. I did and leaned down towards the book. Almost as if I was being controlled. I signed my name and placed the quill where it rested and my wound healed.

Gary smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulder he began to talk of things that I did not quite understand in my stupor. I felt something wet press against my cheek for a second and turned to see the retreating form of Gary's face. I saw on the Black Man's face no emotion, but something about his eyes seemed to not care of what happened. But the thing that shocked me was the fact that I liked it.

I looked over to Gary, whom flashed me a warm smile-of which I returned.

"Come on, Ashy-boy." Gary said, ruffling my hair. "We have work to do."

Gary led me outside, though how we got out of the house; I could not tell you. We walked a long distance until we reached a town. We walked inside the heart of the town unseen and unheard. Phantasms in the moonlight we walked until Gary motioned for me to stop.

We stood in front of this two story house. Gary whistled, the sound mimicked the howling wind. A wheezing chuckle responded and Gary sighed as the fanged, human faced Eevee padded his way towards his master's leg. From there it climbed up Gary's leg, defying gravity as it did so, stopping when it reached its master's shoulder.

From its perch it stared at me. A wide, toothy grin sped across its unnatural face as it let out a wheezing chuckle at my expression to horror.

"Stay here, Ash." Gary said, creeping up to the door. "I'll be back in a minute."

Gary opened the door as if it was not obviously locked and crept inside, never once making a sound. A minute passed and out came Gary, cradling a bundle wrapped in a blue blanket.

The bundle began to cry and Gary uncovered its face. Underneath the blanket was a human baby boy! Everything began to get dark and I felt myself begin to fall. The last thing I saw was Gary's disappointed face as he called out to something in a language I did not understand and then a flap of wings from something that was not of a Pokemon.

9

I found myself on my bed in a cold sweat that I just noticed seemed to recently touch the bed. Horrors barely forgotten in my mind. I place a palm on my face and drag it down. What did I just do? Did I even do anything? I am dreaming…Right?

I got ready for the day and walked down the stairs and was met with Gary sitting in his chair, his Eevee looking at me. I nearly fell when I saw the Pokemon's face. It had a pale white face with blue eyes, a small indent-like a snake's-nose and a lipless mouth that revealed tiny, sharp teeth. The body was normal, even the ears belonged to the Pokemon.

Gary smirked, his hand never faltering from its duty of petting the monstrosity. With the scene before me; all of my questions were answered. The abomination rasped out a series of chuckles, jumped off of Gary's lap and bounded over to me, a wide smile on its face, its teeth flashing in my direction.

"Eevee." Gary said in a scolding manner. "Quit scaring Ash. He'll pet you later."

With that the creature rasped out something that I did not understand. Gary appeared to and got out of his chair to retrieve his eevee. This did not relax me in the slightest. But I went down the stairs and sat down when Gary offered me my usual chair.

"What…." I began, but Gary cut me off.

"You read the story." Gary said. "Can you not infer how?"

"And…And I really signed…?"

"Yes." Gary said, scratching the monstrosity between the ears.

"Then that means…"

"Yep." Gary said, cutting me off once more.

He put Eevee on the floor and got up and walked towards me. He motioned for me to stand. I complied; he wrapped his arms around me, his head laid between my neck and shoulder.

"You're finally…" Gary said, stopping midsentence.

He held me like that for two minutes in silence. Relief was flooding from his being, and all I could think was why? I did not hug him back. Whatever feelings he had for me-friendly or otherwise-were confusing. But I must stop this. All of this.

"Gary," I began. "How do you feel about me?"

Gary pulled himself away, his arms still on me.

"I think it should be obvious." Gary said, kissing my forehead.

"Well, I don't know." I began and trailed off.

Gary looked hurt, his expression changed from happiness to sadness in the blink of an eye. His grip on me lightened. His eyes shimmered violently and he pushed me away.

"What are you saying?" He asked me.

"I…."

"Never mind." Gary said. "It's ok. Give it time. For now we have to prepare for the thirtieth. It's only three days away."

"What's going to happen on the thirtieth?" I asked.

"Walpurgis." He said. "It is a holy night."

The name struck me with fear for I had read it before. But what it entails is a mystery to me. My memory on the subject has faded.

Gary and his Eevee walk towards the door and leave me alone inside the house.

10

That night I laid in bed, my room was not overrun with the rats and The Black Man did not appear before me. This had soothed me and I was able to fall into an easy slumber.

The two hybrids and the human baby were in their specific spot for their ceremony. But then the hybrid's faces changed. Through their horrible skin I could distinctly see Gary's and my face!

Gary held the knife, starting the phrases. I held the bowl expectantly, awaiting the blood. The baby boy sat crying, hungry and in need of a change. I finished each phrase, and when our chants were done; Gary plunged the knife into the baby's body. Blood oozed out and filled the bowl, making the ruins glow.

I woke up in a cold sweat. My breathing hard and labored. I jumped out of bed and ran towards Gary's room, for it was still night.

"Gary!" I cried. "Gary! I had this dream that we were hybrids. We killed a baby."

"And?" Gary asked, unaffected by my words.

"You seem to know about these things." I said. "Is it a past life?"

"No." Gary said. "Now, please Ash. You should be accustomed to these by now. Go to sleep."

He rolled over and fell asleep. His Eevee rasped something that sounded like a threat. I left the room. And then it hit me! The dream itself did not scare me, but the concept of it being a past life did! And that I was no longer scared of Eevee!

11

The past couple days had changed me. Not a considerable amount, but I found myself able to read _The Necromonicon _without incident. I reread the books and I understood them, though Gary forbade me to read "The Dreams in the Witch House" again. Which might have explained why I had finished all of them in the span of two days.

The thirtieth was upon us. And everyone felt antsy, anxious. I, on the other hand, felt nauseous. Gary could not relax in his chair, his fingers gripping tightly to the chair and stared outside.

When the sun began to set I saw people dressed in black robes walk across the window by the door. Much more than I thought were living in this town. But it did not bother me, nor did the Appearance of The Black Man following the procession give me chills.

He took one look inside the house and nodded. Gary stood up.

"Come on, Ash." Gary said. "It's time."

I stood up, not really understanding what was about to happen. Gary walked into my room and unlocked the attic's door. He motioned me to open it, and I complied. He walked up the latter and I followed.

Up in that dark room remained the lit candle on the table and the bookshelves that held all of the ancient tomes. Gary quickly walked over to the table and picked up a bowl that was not there a second ago.

"Here, Ash." Gary said, handing me the bowl. All around me the sound of flutes rose up from the circle in which the town's people fled for the Sabath. The maddening flutes played and played while the worshipers were chanting and dancing.

As if on cue, Eevee rose up from another triangle hole in the floor, this one on Gary's side of the house, a baby boy being dragged beside it; the monster's sharp teeth biting down on the scruff of his baby nightclothes.

"Do you remember the verse?" Gary asked me, his face stoic and unmoving compared to my horror stricken one.

"Ash." Gary snapped. "Do you remember?"

"This is wrong, Gary." I said, looking right into his cold dark eyes. When did they get this way? How did they get this way?

"What is?" Gary asked, his eyes flashing confusion.

"This," I said, pointing to the knife that I swear was not in his hand a moment ago and the baby that monster still holding onto the baby. "What are we doing? Are we mad?"

"We are perfectly-sane." Gary said. "What we are doing is what needs to be done."

"But it's wrong." I wailed.

"Do you remember the verse?" He shouted.

"I won't do it." I said.

"Fine," Gary said. "Just hold the bowl and close your eyes."

Eevee let the baby go and sat behind it, keeping its form upright. Gary asked if it was ready, of which it nodded in reply. The flutes hit a crescendo, the shouting-I knew-grew louder in response, the dancing a frenzy.

Gary started the chanting, Eevee replying with a raspy voice. The baby cried and the sound of the flutes was deafening, it would end soon. An outline of a many mouthed thing with many wiggling tentacles was present in my mind. I could see words forming. Horrible, terrible words.

In the outside world; Gary was about to lower the knife on the baby, its blood ready to be spilled into the bowl I was left holding.

My eyes opened, my mouth shortly afterwards. The flutes died down, He was standing before the people, readying to speak. When-from the depths of my soul-I shouted: La! Shub-Niggurath! The Goat with a Thousand Young…

12

Gary's knife made true, and the blood began to fill the bowl, but I moved it away just as the figures started to glow. I was too late for the boy, but what happens next made up for that.

Gary's eyes bulged in terror when my voice fell silent and I moved away. Anger swirling in the depths of that inhuman fear. I stopped at the table and held on tight. I was told this before. That not-tree thing told me once before coming here. It was all coming back to me now.

"What did you do?" Gary screamed as the house began to shake, sending him down on his butt.

I remained silent as I saw Gary vibrate over to the closest triangle shaped hole-which just so happened to be the one where my room was. The Eevee that was Gary's whimpered in a wheezy voice and tried to save its master by biting the cuff of his shirt. They both fell into the hole with a loud scream and wheeze.

And just as soon as it started, the shaking stopped. I stood from my chair and packed my things. I did not want it to end this way, and I tried not to cry at the loss of my oldest friend. I walked out of the house, never looking back as I left Miskatown.

Several nights later I return to Pallet and my home. I was greeted by my mother, who seemed worried. I noticed right away that there was something missing.

"Hi mom," I said, hugging my mother back. "Where's Pikachu?"

"I don't know, sweetie." She said. "He disappeared a few days ago. But I am worried; every night I hear this wheezing laugh coming from the hallway bedroom before I go to sleep."

My eyes must have glazed over, for Mom had to shake my shoulder so that I could answer a question she asked that I did not hear. I replied with a 'Nothing, nothing', and was led into the house.

That night, after a delicious meal prepared by my mother, I went straight to my room and collapsed on my bed, a weight was off my shoulders. For the wheezing must have been Eevee, but Eevee is dead now. He has to be.

Cyrus and The Black Man sat in the dark room where Gary had recently died. They were discussing something that I could not hear until I found my body moving towards them.

"What do we do about a leader?" Cyrus asked.

"There already is one." The Black Man said. He turned and faced me.

I woke up screaming, my head never leaving the direction of Miskatown. Though I screamed even louder when I saw what was right in front of me. It was Pikachu, only his face was different. It was a pale face with blue eyes and a beard that surrounded a grinning, lipless mouth filled with sharp, needle point teeth. I backed away from it as far as I could until my back hit the wall.

"I'm disappointed with you, Ash." It said in a raspy, wheezy voice. "You betrayed them."

It walked closer towards me, the smile turning from jovial to menacingly homicidal in the blink of an eye. It jumped up onto my lap and looked deep into my brown eyes.

"So, Ash." Pikachu said. "Do you take responsibility? Will you go back to Miskatown?"

"How do you know…"

"I read the letters from Gary." It said. "Now answer me!"

Something within me snapped and I grew braver. I no longer looked at Pikachu with fear. I was-within that instant-strong and brave. I had no doubts in what I was about to say.

"No." I said.

The grin turned into a scowl. Pikachu lunged at my chest, ripping the fabric of the night shirt and flesh, revealing my scapula. A few punches to the bone and it broke, allowing It entrance; it climbed, biting its way through until it came upon my heart.

"Oh," I screamed. "Pikachu, please!"

It was pure pain and agony. I could take it no longer. My heart was devoured and I fell forward, my legs still crossed, allowing Pikachu an easy exit. The last thing I felt was my spine break and the last thing I heard was the horrible sound Pikachu made right after it popped out of my back.

------ -----END

1)I came up with it from Miskatonic University, which is mentioned in many of his stories.

2)In the show and manga you never see any creature in our world, except the Pokemon version, which is not the real thing. So I had this.

3)It is referring to those of the mythos that are not by H.P. Lovecraft.

4)Nada was the witch's other name in "The Dreams in the Witch House". Gary is essentially her in this story, so I wanted to give him one, too. And without thinking, Nada-sha popped into my head.


End file.
